Hansi Flick has chosen Barcelona as his next decision after rejecting Chelsea, with the two parties having an agreement in principle.
According to a report by Spanish journalist Javi Miguel of AS, Hansi Flick has been the subject of interest from Chelsea. However, the 59-year-old has snubbed the advances of the West London club as he had his heart set on joining Barcelona. And the former Bayern Munich manager has an agreement in principle with the Blaugrana over a two-year contract.
Hansi Flick has been among the most highly-rated managers in the world for nearly half a decade. The German tactician was an unknown quantity in the managerial world before replacing Niko Kovac as the Bayern Munich head coach in 2019.
However, Flick’s stock skyrocketed after guiding Bayern Munich to a treble in the 2019/20 season. He also oversaw a Bundesliga-winning campaign in the 2020/21 campaign. However, the 59-year-old left Bayern Munich to fill the vacancy in the German national team, with his stock at an all-time high.
But, the former Bayern Munich manager failed to turn things around for Germany, with Die Mannschaft bowing out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the group stage. Flick lost his job last year and has been a free agent since then. However, most high-profile clubs looking for a manager have set their sights on him, with Chelsea and Barcelona vying for his signature.
Chelsea’s interest in Hansi Flick has soared after parting ways with Mauricio Pochettino this week. The decision shocked everyone in the world, considering the Argentine tactician had shown promising signs in the second half of the 2023/24 season. Nevertheless, with Pochettino departing from Stamford Bridge, Flick became one of Chelsea’s targets. However, he has snubbed the West London club in favour of Barcelona.
The 59-year-old former treble-winning manager has had his heart set on joining Barcelona for months. The move is now on the verge of completion, with Flick and Barcelona sealing an agreement in principle over a two-year contract.
The Catalan giants have returned to the managerial market after some of Xavi Hernandez’s comments rubbed Joan Laporta the wrong way. With Barcelona now having the former Spanish international’s replacement, an official announcement is a matter of time, with Xavi’s time at the club ending soon. As for Chelsea, it will be interesting to see who they appoint to fill the managerial vacancy.
